J Prev Med Public Health.  2020 Sep;53(5):332-341. 10.3961/jpmph.20.024.

The Association Between the Basic Old-Age Pension and Depression of the Older Adults in Korea

• Kim J
• Lee TJ
• Kim CS

• KMID: 2508366
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3961/jpmph.20.024

Abstract

Objectives
The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between the Basic Old-Age Pension (BOP), which is a noncontributory pension, and depression in BOP beneficiaries in Korea.
Methods
We used the second and third waves (2007-2008) of the Korea Welfare Panel Study to identify the effect of the BOP on mental health in the year of its introduction. The Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale, applied in a Korean context, was used to evaluate mental health. To analyze the effect of the BOP, a difference-in-difference approach was used in analyses of all subjects and subgroups.
Results
For this study population of 760 adults, the BOP did not have a statistically significant relationship with depression in its beneficiaries. After controlling for type of household, the BOP was still not associated with lower reporting of depression, either in singlebeneficiary or double-beneficiary households, in the year of the benefit.
Conclusions
The BOP policy had no significant relationship with the level of depression among recipients. However, this should not be interpreted as implying that income subsidy programs for older adults, such as the BOP, do not affect mental health, considering the importance of economic hardship in this population and the program’s socioeconomic effects.

Keyword

Pensions; Depression; Mental health; Public policy